Park(ing) Day is a global event that takes place annually on the third weekend of September. Around the world, people temporarily repurpose parking spaces to create pop-up parks and other public spaces for art, play, and activism. The event draws attention to the need for improving access and quantity of public open spaces in densely populated urban areas as well as the need for these spaces to provide social and environmental engagement. The goal of Park(ing) Day is to celebrate the use of urban public space for people and challenge the dominance of the automobile in cities.

Park(ing) Day Toronto will takes from Friday, September 20 – Sunday, September 22, 2024

Join SvN on Saturday, September 19 from 8am to 5pm for our Park(ing) Day activations and installations on Front Street East across from Berczy Park.

SvN's Five Spaces for People

As our largest public space by area, well-designed streets can be used for so much more than getting from A to B. They can be places where community life unfolds, relationships are built, and local culture is expressed. Streets have the power to define the way we live together.

Our streets are social

Streets in dense urban areas serve as extensions of our living spaces, especially where private outdoor space is limited. They can improve our quality of life by providing opportunities for rest, conversation, and people-watching.

Take a seat, meet your neighbours, and have a conversation!

Our streets bring us together

Streets are one of the few truly public spaces in cities accessible to all regardless of socioeconomic status. If designed as resilient social spaces, they provide equal opportunities for participation in public life.

Contribute to make our shade canopy more effective!

Our streets build vibrant communities

Did you know that Toronto has 5600km of streets. Lined up end-to-end, they would stretch from City Hall to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory! Dividing our street space equally between all citizens would yield 54m² per person — the size of the installation you'll see there.

Tell us what you would do with 54m² to improve your community!

Our streets are playful

Streets are places to enjoy. Before parks and playgrounds, most urban outdoor activities occurred in our city's streets. When designed with "play" in mind, streets are safer for people of all ages and abilities.

Come to play!

Our streets are filled with life

Biodiverse streets make city life healthier and more sustainable. Adding native pollinators and trees along our streets can meaningfully expand the habitat of our city's gardens, parks, and ravines — improving quality of life for plants, birds, insects and people alike!

Meet all the other forms of life that help Toronto thrive!

Park(ing) Day Toronto

This year we have partnered with Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, Arup Canada, DTAH, and MASSIVart to create the Park(ing)Day Grants Program to encourage more activations throughout the city. You can check out the Toronto Map to plan your visit to the activations in the Greater Toronto Area or the Global Map for activations around the world.